Regional Express Holdings, which operates in Australia as Rex, announced the purchase of five Saab 340Bs that recently came off lease for A$11.5 million ($9.8 million). It now operates 22 owned Saab aircraft and has an additional 11 on lease.
New Dubai World Central International Airport under construction at Jebel Ali awarded the meteorological system contract at JXB to Emirati firm International Aeradio LLC, while the UK's Park Air Systems will be responsible for a VHF atmospheric radar implementation. Procurement and installation of the packages has commenced, the airport said.
World Airways reached a tentative five-year labor agreement with cabin staff represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The deal will be presented to membership for ratification.
Copa Airlines and Aeromexico unveiled a codeshare agreement starting Aug. 1. Initially, Copa will place its code on AM flights from Mexico City to 17 Mexican destinations while the latter will place its code on Copa flights from Panama City to Mexico City, Cancun and Guadalajara.
Boeing yesterday told reporters in New Delhi that it has boosted its forecast for aircraft demand in the fast-growing Indian market, projecting that the country's airlines will order 911 passenger aircraft valued at $86 billion over the next 20 years. Last year the manufacturer pegged demand in the market at 856 aircraft valued at $72 billion over the next two decades ( ATW, January 2007). It said the higher demand is owing to the rise of private airlines in India.
News from Travel Technology Update: Sabre Travel Network is on the verge of rolling out a new product that will enable it to house a "mirror image" of a carrier's inventory within its system to provide a more accurate picture of the airline's availability.
OEMServices was selected by Singapore Airlines to provide A380-800 component support services under a 14-year agreement. OEMServices, a joint venture company formed by A380 suppliers Diehl Aerospace, Liebherr-Aerospace, Thales and Zodiac (acting through IN-Services), will provide "complete support services for more than 600 part numbers." The agreement covers door-to-door repair and overhaul service including advance exchange for more than 300 components as well as coverage of SIA's overseas stations.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. is "deeply dissatisfied" with the outcome of the US National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the Aug. 27, 2006, crash of a Comair CRJ200 in Lexington, Ky., ( ATWOnline, July 27), saying FAA was not sufficiently criticized or blamed for failing to schedule two controllers the morning of the flight.
Spirit Airlines said its dispatchers represented by the Transport Workers Union ratified a new labor agreement. No other details were provided. Separately, the carrier will launch daily Fort Lauderdale-Ponce flights on Nov. 1. It will be Spirit's third destination in Puerto Rico.
Macquarie Airports led a consortium that purchased a 9.56% stake in Japan Airport Terminal Co., which owns, manages and operates the three passenger terminals at Tokyo Haneda as well as retail businesses at Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai. MAp said the stake cost approximately ¥19.6 billion ($163.3 million) and that its own interest in JAT is 4.79%.
Copa Airlines Friday took delivery of its eighth 94-seat E-190, bringing its total fleet to 32 aircraft. It will take three more E-190s and two 737-800s before year end.
The EU made its final argument last week in the aircraft subsidy case before the WTO, calling US claims that France, Germany, Spain and the UK have provided $205 billion in illegitimate launch aid to Airbus since 1995 "completely unrealistic."
New Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim, in charge of reforming the country's troubled air traffic system, inspected the main runway at Sao Paulo Congonhas Friday and cleared its reopening 10 days after the fatal TAM A320 crash that killed 199 people. Jobim took charge of the military-run ATC system last week in the aftermath of the accident and as thousands of passengers were stranded at airports plagued by rampant flight delays and cancellations ( ATWOnline, July 26).
Midwest Air Group reported second-quarter earnings of $4.9 million, a 44.6% drop from the $8.8 million profit posted during the same period a year ago. Operating revenue rose 10% to $194.5 million, which the company attributed to a 15.8% increase in passenger traffic. "While the pricing environment was challenging, the demand for travel remained strong in the second quarter," CEO Timothy Hoeksema said.
PowerJet, the 50/50 joint venture between Snecma and NPO Saturn developing the engine for the Sukhoi Superjet, named Jean-Paul Ebanga chairman and CEO. He replaces Michel Dechelotte, who is moving to another position within Safran Group.
Rolls-Royce's Civil Aerospace segment ended the first half of 2007 with an order book worth £28.1 billion, up from £20 billion at the end of 2006. The company delivered 421 engines during the semester compared to 412 in the first six months of 2006 and recorded sales worth £2.01 billion compared to £1.79 billion in the year-ago period.
China Eastern Airlines created a Beijing Branch Company in order to establish itself further in the capital, where its passenger traffic has increased 15% over the past two years but its market share is just 11%. The Shanghai-based carrier noted that Beijing offers greater opportunities due to its location and next summer's Olympic Games. "We can take advantage of our Beijing Branch Company to expand our network in the Beijing-centered northern region," MD Cao Jianxiong said. Expanding in Beijing is becoming an attractive option for Chinese airlines based outside the capital.
A series of one-time charges plus the "sharp decline in traffic and passenger revenue" that President and CEO Jeff Potter said has plagued "much of the industry" during the spring contributed to a $3.5 million first fiscal quarter loss for Frontier Airlines, which posted a $4 million profit in the year-ago period.
Ryanair announced the following new routes: From Bristol to Turin (weekly from Dec. 22); from Nottingham East Midlands to Belfast City (daily from Oct. 30), Grenoble (weekly from Dec. 22), Poznan (thrice-weekly from Nov. 8), Salzburg (weekly from Dec. 22) and Tenerife (twice-weekly from Oct. 28); from Liverpool to Belfast City (daily from Oct. 30), Budapest (four-times-weekly from Oct. 31), Bydgoszcz (twice-weekly from Oct. 28), Fuerteventura (thrice-weekly from Oct. 30), Grenoble (weekly from Dec. 22), Lodz (twice-weekly from Oct. 29), Salzburg (weekly from Dec.
Air New Zealand Technical Operations signed a five-year, $45 million deal with Hawaiian Airlines covering heavy MRO on the airline's 18 767s. First aircraft will arrive in Auckland in mid-August.
Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air parent Alaska Air Group suffered a 16.9% decline in second-quarter profit to $46.1 million compared to the $55.5 million earned in the year-ago quarter, which Chairman and CEO Bill Ayer said represented "a solid performance in view of significantly higher fuel costs and a softer revenue environment."
Air India last week took delivery of its first 777-200LR, part of its January 2006 order for 68 aircraft ( ATWOnline, Jan. 12, 2006). It is expected to take an additional three 777-200LRs and three -300ERs this year. It will use the aircraft delivered last week on its new Mumbai-New York JFK service scheduled to launch Aug. 1. The aircraft will seat 238 passengers in a three-class configuration.
The US National Transportation Safety Board attributed the Aug. 27, 2006, pre-dawn crash of Comair Flight 5191 at Lexington Blue Grass (Ky.) Airport to errors by the cockpit crew that board members were at a loss to explain. In a draft report released yesterday following an 11-month investigation, NTSB called for enhancements in airport taxiway markings and lighting and the use of in-cockpit map displays.
Lufthansa yesterday released its full first-half and second-quarter financial performance, confirming the €992 million six-month profit announced Wednesday ( ATWOnline, July 26) and its forecast of a full-year operating profit "significantly above" €1 billion. First-half operating profit rose 83.7% to €621 million. Second-quarter profit of €438 million compared to the €183 million posted in the year-ago quarter.
With Airbus struggling through the beginning stages of its Power8 restructuring program, parent EADS reported a 93% decline in first-half net income to €71 million ($97.8 million) from €1.06 billion in the year-ago period.
